High Drama In RJD As Leaders Asked To Return Party Symbols Hours After Getting Them

In a night of high political drama that has exposed deep fissures within Bihar’s opposition, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) on Monday asked several of its leaders to return the party symbols they had been given for the upcoming Assembly elections, just hours after they were handed out. The stunning reversal has thrown the party into confusion and highlighted the ongoing deadlock over seat-sharing within the Mahagathbandhan.The drama began on Monday evening when a crowd of ticket aspirants gathered outside RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s Patna residence.

Several prominent leaders, including recent JD(U) defector Sunil Singh and former MLA Narendra Kumar Singh, were seen emerging with the party’s official symbols in yellow envelopes. The move was perceived as a clear signal of their candidature, despite the fact that the RJD and its allies, including the Congress, had not yet finalized their seat-sharing arrangement.

However, in a dramatic late-night twist, the candidates who had received the symbols were called and asked to return them. The recall order reportedly came after Tejashwi Yadav returned to Patna from Delhi.

The party has offered no clear explanation for the abrupt U-turn, leading to widespread confusion. In a bizarre attempt to downplay the incident, some party leaders have even claimed that no symbols were distributed and that the photos circulating on social media were “AI-generated.”This chaotic episode underscores the disarray within the opposition alliance, particularly the persisting differences between the RJD and the Congress over the number of seats each will contest.

In stark contrast, the ruling NDA announced its seat-sharing formula on Sunday, with the BJP and JD(U) contesting 101 seats each. With the deadline for filing nominations fast approaching, the late-night symbol recall has put the RJD and the entire Mahagathbandhan on the back foot